DM Never Too Late
by Firewalker711
Summary: This plot actually kept me up nights, until I couldn't take it anymore. It was that visual. About a major thing that happens with Gru's mom. And no. . .I'm not telling you. But. . .I will say that I've put alot of time into what I've been writing. Wanting you not only to read this story. . .but to see it like you would be watching it on the big screen.
1. Chapter 1

** Brief Summery of what's taking place. . .Very important. **  
_****Again I normally don't post summeries before my fictions, but this is extremely imperative.  
For starters. . .I want to keep this story as accurate as possible. The reasons being. . .that they've already began to make a sequel to the "Despicable Me," Therefore to cover my tracks, I decided to make the plot at least two to three years after the 1st movie. It makes more sense that way. That way, whatever happens in the second movie, I won't have to make any changes. This will make the girls a little older. Edith will be ten, Agnes will be about seven or eight, and Margo will be a about to turn 13. Either way, she is already showing signs of maturity. Entering another phase that Gru is definitely not used to._

***And although finding a wife or girlfriend would seem like a good idea, Gru is dead set against it. This is due to failed relationships with women in the past, from his very complicated, deviant life style. After all, it's hard to understand the life of a super villain. . .or is it? Either way, that's one of the last things on his agenda. But. . . he does know that there are certain things that not even he won't be able to handle, as the girls get a little older. And just thinking about them makes him cringe, and _**blush**__. So he often turned to his dear mother for wisdom. Which is. . .the logical thing for to do.  
***At first, recalling the way he was treated as a child, Gru was truly worried that Marlena might do the same to the girls as she done to him. But to his surprise, she actually treated them more affectionately, and gave them lots of attention, just like a grandmother was supposed to do. Although Gru was relieved by that, it bothered him. For deep down inside he began to really wonder if his only mistake in existing, was being a boy. . .  
and not a girl.  
***But on this fateful occasion, Gru finds out that no matter how scarred his past may be, it's what happens __**now**__ that counts. _

Pt I

The story began when Marlena Gru paid him an unexpected visit on a Saturday morning. It was around 7:00Am, and he'd just gotten dressed and had started to fix breakfast.

Wearing his apron, Gru was busy flipping pancakes in the frying pan. On the side of him, two more waffles popped out of the toaster. With graceful timing he spun around, just as they stacked into the plate. Out the corner of his eye, he could see his mother shake her head, not impressed a bit. Used to that, he sighed and set the plate down on the cabinet. "You're heere awfully early today, mom." He stressed. "Any special reason?"  
From the table, Marlena looked up from her cross stitching and nodded,  
"Actually yes. But I want to wait until everybody's up before I say why."  
Knowing it was pointless to push her any further, Gru shrugged and said,  
"Well, you're here for breakfast. . ."  
Cocking her head she mocked, "Yes. . .I can see dat. Pancakes, again. _Hah_. Dere's no way de girls are going to eat all dat." She cooed in a derisive tone. Determined not to get a rise from her, Gru flipped the last of the pancakes on another huge plate  
"I don't know. . .Dey eat everything else in de house."  
"Yes. . .But you always make de same thing. And after awhile, dey will get finicky. Just like you did." Just as she said that, Edith slowly trudged in the kitchen.  
"Good morning sleepyhead." Gru's mother cooed, as she looked toward her with surprise.  
"Oh, hi Gram. . .Morning daddy. . ."  
"Good morning shreemp. . ." he mimed with a smirk. "I was just about to get you. . Where's de other two?"  
"There coming. . ." she said, now scooting up to the table. Looking down at Edith, Gru asked,  
"What'll it be? Pancakes, or waffles?" Still half asleep, Edith rested her chin on her hand.  
"Cereal. . ." she muttered.  
"_Cereal_?!" He scoffed. "I just spent an hour cooking dis. . ."  
"I know. . .But I still don't want none. . ." she insisted, as he groaned with frustration. From across the table, Marlena began to chuckle. Shaking her head.  
"_Heh-heh-heh_. . .What did I tell you?" Sighing heavily, Gru rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Oh, how he hated when she was right! By then Agnes and Margo had arrived, taking a seat at the table. Looking down at Agnes, Gru crossly asked,  
"And how bout you? You want cereal too?"  
"No. . .Waffles. . ." she said, as Gru smiled with satisfaction. As he reached for the syrup, she cried, "No. . .I wanna do it!" In no mood for her whining, he threw a hand up.  
"Yeah. Fine. . .Fine. Just don't make a mess. . ." Looking toward Margo, he noticed how she tried not to grin. "What?"  
"Um. . .I'm not hungry. . .sorry. . ." Gawking at her his mouth fell open. Again, his mother began to chuckle under her breath. Feeling like he was being picked on, Gru scoffed with frustration.  
"Great. . .So what am I supposed to do with all dis?"

No sooner did he say that, a heard of about ten minions flocked into the kitchen. This included Dave, and Kevin, who ran up to the plate with great enthusiasm.  
_"Ooooohhh_," Dave cooed, looking at Kevin. "Cakes!" Thereafter, their attentive gaze shifted to Gru, and all at once they began to bob up and down with excitement.  
"_Cakes. . .cakes. . cakes_!"  
Grinning at the exasperated expression on Gru's face, Margo playfully replied,  
"Does that answer your question?" Sighing heavily, Gru rubbed a hand over his eyes,  
"Alright, already! _Heeere_, for pete's sake!" He snapped, sliding the plate across the table.  
Snatching it up, Dave quickly spun around and ran from Kevin and the other minions, who began to yell in protest. As they started chasing after him, Gru hollered,  
"Hey. . .make sure you share dat! And bring back de plate when you're feenished!"  
"Right. . .Like they really listen. . ." Margo mocked as he gave her a playful leer.  
At the same time, Marlena lowered her needlepoint, and asked,  
"So, Gru. . .Did you have any plans with de girls today?"  
"Um. . .Not right off hand. Why?"  
"Well. . .I was tinking. . .that maybe we can all go to de circus. . ."  
For a minute, it was though hearing this woke the girls up completely. As they gasped and squealed with delight, Gru gaped at her with disbelief.  
"Mother. . .you _hate_ de circus."  
"Ehh, well. . .It isn't too late to start. And it'll only be here for a few days, so I figured we can all go. It'll be my treat. . ." She stressed more to Gru, who continued to marvel down at her with disbelief.  
By then the girls were literally jumping up and down with excitement. Latching onto his arm, Agnes cried, "Oooh, can we go?! Can we? Please?"  
Lost in his own thoughts, Gru slowly pulled off his apron and mumbled,  
"Sure, why not?" Then quietly turned and walked out of the kitchen.

Through the excitement and eager anticipation, Gru remained silent throughout the entire drive. For he suddenly found himself lost in a flashback from his childhood. He could remember him and his mother walking through the grocery store. He was about nine years old, following behind the shopping cart, when he saw the huge circus poster hanging in the store lobby. Gru could remember how excited he got, actually jumping up and down just like the girls had done.  
_"Oooh, mum! De circus is coming! I wanna go! Please teke me!_" Not even looking up from her shopping list, she let out one of her unenthused scoffs.  
"_Ehh. Circuses are filthy, smelly and boring. . .Besides. . .they already got enough __**clowns **_. . ."  
Immediately Gru could feel his heart sink with disappointment, then hurt. The very same way it felt now, as an adult. And as the circus tent began to loom in the distance, Gru could hear the girls cheering with excitement. . .and his mother laughing. By the time they pulled up into the parking lot, he was seething with resentment. Glaring ahead, Gru slowly turned watching as the girls jumped up and ran outside, then followed by his mother. Stepping out Gru found himself stopping, not going any further. Calmly looking down at his mother, he said, "Here is my phone, and money for a cab. Have a nice day. . ." Rather surprised, she innocently asked,  
"You mean, you're not coming?"  
"Nope. . ."  
"But why?"  
"Because dey already have enough **clowns**!" He coldly inclined.  
By the way her eyes widened with shock, it was as though she couldn't believe he remembered that far. But, he did indeed. And within minutes, it changed over into a hurt expression. One that he couldn't bear to look at. At the same time, he heard Edith moan,  
"_Awwwwww_! What do you mean you're not coming?"  
Now he felt Agnes tugging at his hand. "Don't leave. . .Please stay." If hearing their pleads weren't enough, dealing with Margo surely was. In her preadolescent state she merely stood there, glaring up at him with her arms folded. Which was worse than any whining combined!  
"_Ohhh_, no! Don't give me dat look! It won't wurk!"  
"Then why aren't you coming?" she asked, voice clipped with disappointment.  
"Because I have a lot of catching up to do today. And dis is de perfect time. . .while I'm _alone_!" Slowly shaking her head, Margo replied,  
"But it won't be the same without you. . ." Hearing the marred tone in her voice hurt Gru's heart. Softening up he stooped down until he was at her level.  
"I know, ok. Look. I'll make a deal with you, alright? Let me off de hook, and I'll take you anywhere you want on your burthday. . ." Indeed, Margo would be turning 13 in two weeks, officially a teenager. And he did want that occasion to be special.  
By the way her head cocked, Gru could tell she was intrigued. "_Anywhere_?"  
"Anywhere. . ." Stepping up to him, she held out her pinky.  
"Promise?" Smiling at her, Gru gripped her pinky with his.  
"Yes, yes. I promise. . .So I guess I'm in trouble, now?"  
"_Uh-huh_. . ." she mimed, as he pulled her forward, and kissed her on the cheek.  
Giving the other two each a hug and kiss, Gru stood to his feet, watching as they all walked away. "Have fun, girls. . .I'm sure Gram will show you a good time. . ."  
he inclined, giving her one last cold gaze.


	2. Chapter 2

Although he left determined to make a point, Gru's conscience already started to nag at him. And by the time he got home, he was actually thinking about turning around and going back. It actually had him leaning against the steering wheel, deep in thought over what he should do.  
In all the years of his life, it never mattered what his mother done or said. Whether he found it cruel, insulting, or unfair. Gru hardly ever said anything to her. Just constantly took it in. But the one time he actually had enough and stood up for himself, he felt awful. Yet. . .even though he was miserable. . .he was still justified!  
Frustrated, Gru blew out a breath and flung open the door. Determined to stand his ground for once. One way was to keep himself busy, just as he said he would. And that wouldn't be a problem.

Within a matter of minutes, he appeared in Dr. Nepharios lab, where he was greeted by about 100 minions. "Hello boys. . ." he said as they flocked around him.  
"Ahh, Gru? I'm surprised to see you ere! I thought you be with the crew, feedin the elephants!" he mocked with a chuckle.  
"No. . .I decided to stick around here and catch up on some tings."  
"Good. . .then maybe you can give me a hand?"  
"Oh?" Gru asked, getting a little closer to the lab table.  
"Yes. Since I'm so busy, I thought maybe you want work on that spybot we stole from Vectors pad." _(Brief summery: Not sure if Vector will be in the second movie, but I'm sure his rich father had enough money to get him off the moon!) _  
"Yes. That's perfect. . ." Gru said full of intrigue. "I've been wanting to get de diagram so we can make more like dis one. Dat way, we can send dem back to Vector's lair, to do our spying for us." Letting out an evil chuckle, Gru replied, "De little nerd will think dere his, but dey'll really be ours!"  
"Just keep in mind that you'll have to disable the security lock first. One wrong move can fry the whole grid. So you must stay focused. . ."

Easier said than done. For the next couple of hours the bot remained on the worktable, but it was never touched. Instead, Gru found himself walking throughout the house, still consumed with what happened between him and his mother. Not to mention that the solitude also starting to get to him. And to think three years ago, peace and quite was something he really enjoyed with a passion. But now that he had the girls, it just wasn't the same anymore. He couldn't imagine himself ever being alone again.  
Within minutes he could hear a car pull up in the driveway. Knowing it was them had Gru hurrying to the door just as it opened up to the sight of his lovely girls. All at once they came pouring in, carrying balloons, popcorn, and cotton candy.  
Full of relief, Gru watched as Agnes ran up to him, hugging him around the waste.  
"Hey dad!"  
"Hey leetle girl. . ." he said, hugging her back. "You had fun?"  
"Yeah, it was awesome!  
"And I got to ride on an elephant!" Edith announced rather proudly.  
"Reeally?" he asked, rather impressed.  
"Yeah. . .But not without me. . ." Margo added, now joining the three of them.  
"She was too scared to get on by herself." She mocked, as Edith stuck her tongue out her. "Well at least I wasn't scared of clowns!" she mimed, looking down at Agnes. "Every time one would come up to us, she'd cry like a baby. . ." No sooner did she say that, Gru watched as his mother began to approach them. Getting a knot in his stomach, he hurtfully looked down at Edith and muttered,  
"I don't blame her. . .I hate clowns too. . ." As Marlena began to walk up to him, Gru hurriedly replied, "Girls eet's getting late. Go get cleaned up and you can tell me everyting when I tuck you in."  
Sensing the friction between him and his mom, Margo gave him a reassuring smile and nodded.  
"Come on, Edith. . .Agnes." she said, shooing them off. As they walked away, it truly occurred to Gru just how mature Margo was starting to get.  
By then she had approached him, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.  
"So. . .What did you do while we were gone?"  
"Oh, I've been busy. . ." He lied. Looking up at the goggles on his head, she let out a scoff. "Heh. Yeah, working on another one of your ridiculous contraptions?"  
She mimed, as he let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes. And I'm not stopping till I'm done!" he said, irritably turning away from her. Just as quickly he heard her call out,  
"Son, wait. Don't leave. . .I. . .want to give you something. . ."  
This had Gru stopping, turning back to her in confusion. Now he watched as she awkwardly approached him with a ball of cotton candy. Touched beyond words, Gru watched as she fidgeted a bit, then said, "This used to be your favorite. . ."  
Deeply overwhelmed with guilt, Gru took it from her. "It still is. . ." he replied, barely able to look her in the eyes. "Thank you. . ." Now for a minute, the both of them merely stood there, at a loss of what to say. Deeply overwhelmed with guilt, Gru slowly shook his head and whispered, "Look mom. . .I-"  
"_Son_ . . ." she gently cut off. "It's been a long day. . .And I'm feeling a little more worn out than normal." Now she hesitated a bit, then feebly asked, "So. . .I was wondering. . .if I could stay here, tonight?" Marveling at her, Gru shook his head.  
"Mom. . .you don't even have to ask. . .Of course you can."  
Now she smiled, and nodded, "Good. I won't be any trouble. . .I'll be in de front knitting. She said, holding up her needlepoint.  
"Ok. . .  
"Goodnight, son. . ." As she turned and walked away from him, Gru stared hard at her back.  
"Goodnight mom. . ."


	3. Chapter 3

** Meanwhile. . . **  
With their little rift resolved, Gru felt much more at ease. So much so, that when the girls were tucked away in bed, he finally felt motivated enough to work on Vectors robot.  
With Kevin the minion assisting him, Gru had nearly disassembled it. Holding out his hand he muttered, "Screw driver. . ." Quickly Kevin reached in the tool box and pulled out what he asked for.  
"Poodriver. . ." he chirped, as Gru took it from him. Unscrewing the last part, he slowly pulled the motherboard away to expose a pile of wires so thick that it looked like a birdsnest!  
"_ Ooooh_. . ." Kevin said, watching as Gru studied them hard.  
"Yeah. You're telling me. . ." Although the sight of this many wires made his head swim, Gru knew that one of them definitely controlled the security lock. Knowing from past experiences that most security wires were red and white striped, he began searching through the tangled mess until he spotted that very color! "Give me de pliers."  
"K. . ." Kevin answered, again pulling them out of the box. As Gru took them, he peered at Kevin out the corner of his eye. "Stand back. . ." Putting them over the wire, he blew out a quick breath and muttered, "Heere goes nothing. . ." And he snipped it. The next thing he knew, it arched out, blowing up in his face. "Ahhhhhh!" he vented in frustration.  
Thereafter he began coughing, trying to fan the smoke away from him. Pulling the magnification goggles up over his eyes, Gru urgently began to examine the panel, looking for any permanent damage. That's when he heard a long beep, causing him to carefully tilt the bot up, until he was looking at the front interface. There two words appeared that he was hoping to see.  
"** Security error **. . . ."  
Suddenly, the grid turned completely black. Then the next thing he knew, Gru found himself staring at a glowing blue print of the bots construction!  
Letting out an excited gasp, he exclaimed, "I deed it! Oh! I can't believe it!" he shouted, jumping up from the table, he literally danced in a circle. "I deed it, I deed it! _Yes _!"  
"_Who-hoooo _!" Kevin cooed, jumping up and down.  
Looking down at him, Gru chuckled evilly and said, "That leetle punk is going to get it now!"

Anxious to tell someone, Gru jumped up and quickly headed toward the living room, knowing that perhaps this one time his mother would congratulate him. Yet as they came down the hallway, Gru noticed something familiar lying on the floor. Slowly he reached down and picked it up, to find that it was the cross-stitch that his mother had been working on. Staring down at it, Gru's eyes slowly narrowed with confusion, wondering what could've caused her to drop it in the first place.  
"Mom?" he called out in a low voice. When she didn't answer, he went to her bedroom, cracking the door just enough to peek inside. Expecting to find her sleeping, Gru was again baffled to see that she wasn't in bed. "Alright. . .dis is starting to get weird. . ." he muttered, stepping back into the hall. "Mom? Where are you?" He hissed a little louder. And that's when his eyes caught sight of a dark figure lying just outside the livingroom doors. Not wanting to believe what he was seeing, Gru quickly approached to find that it was his mother, lying face down on the floor.  
"_ No _. . ." he gasped, eyes widening with disbelief as he quickly ran up and knelt down next to her. For a minute Gru was frozen with dread, very tentative over what he might face. That is until she moaned out, causing his eyes to tightly close with relief. Reaching down, Gru carefully flipped her up until he was staring down at the relieved expression on her pale face.  
"M-mom. . .what-"  
"Oh, Gru. . . she whispered. "I'm so glad to see you."  
"What happened?"  
Barely able to get the words out, she feebly replied, "I-I got dizzy. . .and de next thing I knew. . .I was on de floor." Tearfully looking up at him, she whispered, "I didn't tink you'd _ever _find me." Overwhelmed by what she said, Gru attempted to get up, "I'm going get help. . ."  
"_ No _. . ." she weakly pled, her hand shakily grasping Gru by the arm. "Don't leave me."  
Deeply moved over how much she needed him, Gru fought with everything he had not to get upset. "Alright, mom. . ." he whispered, his trembling hand now covering over the top of hers. "Alright. . ."  
Little did they know that Kevin had saw the whole commotion, and quickly ran down to the lab, informing Dr. Nephario of the situation. By then he had run up to the two of them wearing nothing more than a robe and his thick goggles. Sighing with relief, Gru shook his head and said,  
"Boy. . .am I glad to see you. . ."  
"What's going on? Kevin flew down to the lab, babblin on and on about your mother -_ Oh, dear _. . ." He said, now kneeling down next to them. "What's wrong with you, mum?"  
Grimacing, Marlena whispered, "I'm hurting. . ."  
"Where, luv. . ."  
"My l-left side. . ." she gasped. "And it feels like deres. . .an _elephant _on my ch-chest."  
Looking up at Gru, Dr. Nephario calmly said, "Stay with your mother. I'm callin 911. I think she's having a heart attack."  
"_ What _?!" Gru gasped out. When he looked back at his mother, she could see the formidable expression make its away across his face.  
"Now don't. . . start panicking, son." she weakly chastised. "You're going to make me nervous. You've got to be calm. . .for me. . ." She hesitated, when the door to the girls bedroom opened and Margos head slowly popped out. ". . . and your gurls. . ."  
From the end of the hall, Gru's mom saw the way Margo's eyes widened when she saw her lying on the floor. Running up to them, she asked, "_Gram _? What's wrong?"  
"Eet's alright, darling. Grams just having a bad night. . ."  
Looking down at her as though she were crazy, Margo exclaimed, "A bad night? _You're on the floor_!"  
Now very composed, Gru stood up and gently gripped his daughter by the shoulders.  
"Listen, Margo. . .I want you to do me a beeg favor and watch your sisters. Gram has to go to de hospital." Now he hesitated, knowing Margo was mature enough to be told the truth. "We tink it's her heart. . ." he whispered, as a terrified expression crept over her face.  
"Oh, no. . ."  
"But don't tell dem dat. . ." he quickly cut off. "It'll scare dem too much. Just tell dem she's sick. . .Dat's all dey need to know. . ." Now he watched the way she looked down at her grandmother, with the same fearful expression he had. "_ Margo _. . ." he stressed, how getting her attention. "You've got to keep it together. . .We _both _do. . ."  
Now in the distance, the ambulance could be heard coming down the street. As it loomed closer, Gru looked back at her and said, "I'll call you as soon as I find something out. A'right?"  
"Ok. . ." she mumbled, as he gently kissed her on the cheek.  
"Love you. . ." Giving him a quick hug, she whispered in his ear.  
"I love you, too. . ." Letting him go, she knelt down and kissed Gru's mom on the cheek.  
"Bye Gram. . ." she whispered, fighting not to cry. Giving her a weak smile, she looked up at Margo and whispered, "Dis isn't goodbye. . .I'll be back. . ."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sometime later. . . **  
Although it was only an hour since they brought his mother, Gru felt like it was an eternity. As Dr. Nephario watched, he continuously paced back and forth in lobby of the emergency room.  
"Will you _please _sit down! You're making me nervous!"  
"Well. . .I just don't understand how dis could've happened. . .She was in purfect health." Throwing his hands up in frustration, Gru vented, "She even took _karate_ , for petes sake!"  
Silently Nephario watched as Gru stopped pacing and just stood there. Gradually, he let out a heavy sigh and muttered, "Maybe. . .dis is my fault. . ."  
"What? Gru. . .why on earth would you say that?"  
"Because I got _fed up_ today, dat's why!" he said, shaking his head with frustration. Sadly looking toward Nephario, he replied, "De reason why I deedn't go to de circus with her and de gurls was because. . .I was _insulted_ !" he vented with frustration. "When I was a boy, I could remember asking her to bring me. . .and what did she do? She tells me no, and insults me! But den suddenly out of de blue, she wants to take de gurls. . .and have me tag along? _I don't tink so _!" He mimed in a sarcastic tone.  
Knowing Gru was very upset, Nephario found it hard to keep a straight face over the childlike way he was acting. "Uh. . .Gru. . .Do I detect a note of jealousy?"  
Marveling at him, Gru snapped through his teeth. "Me? Why should _I _be jealous?" he scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air. "To see my mom doing tings with de gurls that I've always wanted? To see her. . .geeve them attention and appreciation for every leetle ting dey do, when I never even got a _nod_ ! Don't get me wrong. . .I'm glad she's doing it with dem. It's about time she does it to somebody! But still it-" Now he stopped. . .unable to finish.  
Wanting him to get it off his chest, Nephario pushed, "It _what_ , Gru?"  
Giving him a marred look, Gru shook his head and snapped,  
"It_ hurts _. . . A'right?! And today. . .I wanted her to know how it felt!" Looking away from him, Gru's head shook with deep regret. "Maybe. . .it was too much for her. . ."  
Knowing where this was going, Nephario could feel himself getting frustrated for his dear friend.  
"Nonsense! You had every right to stand up for yourself!" He firmly stated, as Gru sadly looked at him out the corner of his eye. "I've known you and Marlena for nearly thirty years. And I've seen the way she is with you, and how you just take it day after day, after day. You may be the brilliant criminal mind of this century. . .But you're still a respectful son. And I commend you for that." He said, as a moved expression crept over Gru's face. "And I really don't think. . .that the one time you stand up for yourself is going to put her into a cardiac arrest!"  
No sooner did he say that, did the doctor finally came out. "Mr. Gru?"  
"Yes. . .dat's me." he replied, anxiously running up to him. "How's mom? Is she alright?"  
"Well. . .we done an EKG and found that she had a 90 percent blockage in the main coronary artery, which was starting to deprive her heart of oxygen." Mouth falling open, Gru could feel all the blood draining out his face. "So. . . we gave her some anticoagulant drugs, and ran a stint through the artery to successfully unblock the passage. Her blood pressure has already beginning to stabilize. Although she's doing better, I'd like to monitor her for the next 24 hours. Just in case. . ."  
For Gru, this was happening so fast that it actually felt like a dream. Swallowing hard, he found himself asking, "Can I see her?"  
"Actually. . .she's been asking for you." The doctor stressed, as a touched expression crept over his face. "She's in intensive care, in room 209." he said, pointing down the hallway. At the same time, Nephario tugged on his arm.  
"Go on, Gru. I'll call the girls. . ."  
Appreciative Gru nodded. "Thanks. . ."  
Walking with Gru to her room, the doctor replied, "She's still a little sedated, but it's starting to wear off. . .If you need anything, call the front desk."  
"Ok." he muttered.

**_Revisons_**  
For a moment, Gru could only stand pasted in the doorway, frozen over the eerie way his mother looked in the hospital bed.  
Still in spite of everything she'd endured, she still had on that purple _smock_ of hers! But instead had it as a robe over the hospital gown. Gru actually imagined the pointless argument she must've gave about not taking it off. She loved her robe so much.  
From underneath, he could see the wires emerge. Assuming they were from the probes on her chest, he traced him to the heart monitor, which rhythmically continued to beep to her heart beating.  
Gathering his nerve, Gru stepped in the room, silently shutting the door behind him. She never noticed, her eyes closed from resting. For a minute Gru wasn't sure whether to disturb her or not. That is. . .until her eyes fluttered open and she saw him standing there.  
"Hi, mom. . ." Gru softly replied, as she gave him a look of relief.  
"Gru. . .Eets about time dey let you in here. . ." she said, as he sat in a chair next to her. For a minute Gru couldn't say anything, grateful that she was alert enough to even speak to him at all. Slowly shaking his head, he sighed and said, "You scared me, mom. . ."  
Weakly scoffing, she said, "Hah. . .I scared myself, son. And I must've scared de doctors too, cause dey ran over a dozen tests already."  
"Well. . .dey want to keep you here for 24 hours. . .to watch you. . ."  
Sighing with frustration, she complained, "Yeah. . .and to poke me wit needles till I become a human peen cushion. . ." Used to her fussing, Gru cocked his head and muttered,  
"Hmph. . .I take it you must be feeling a little better. . ." Full of frustration, she gave him an annoyed peer, and snapped. "I had a _heart attack_ , son. . .How am I supposed feel?"  
That comment unexpectedly struck Gru hard. Although he tried not to show it, he could feel himself growing very hurt. This caused him to look away from her, tightly folding his arms.  
"Oh, now. . .what's with de face?" she weakly mimed, as he continued to avoid her eyes. "I know dat look. It was de same pouty expression you had as a boy. . Guilty. . .Like. . .you done something wrong. . ." By the way Gru's head sank, she suddenly realized. . .that was the answer.  
The unexpected sight of this troubled her, to the point of saying,  
"Gru. . .look at me. . ." Reluctantly. . .Gru done as he was told, until his rueful gaze met her very troubled one, causing her to immediately put the pieces together. Getting as upset as he was, she urgently said.  
"Leesten son. . ._nothing_ you said did dis to me. I done dis to myself from baking too much strudel. Looks like eet finally caught up with me. . ."  
By the way Gru rolled his eyes and looked away, she could tell he was not at all amused with her morbid humor, which in turn only had her feeling worse. Putting her head down, Marlena found herself sadly whispering,  
"I know you would never hourt me. . .cause you love me. Even. . .when I don't _desurve it_. . ." her voice tearfully trailed off.  
The sincerity of her heartfelt words stabbed at Gru's emotions like a knife. As he desperately fought to keep his composer, Gru could feel his chest beginning to ache from the tears that were trying to surface. Caught on the spot, his glistening eyes gazed up at the ceiling as his bottom lip began to quiver. By then, Marlena knew that her big, tough, villain-of-a-son, was trying to contain his grief in front of her. Something that in this one instance. . .she actually began to regret.  
This had her hand slowly reaching out, until it covered over the top of his. This unexpected gesture was enough to break down the tough barrier Gru was fighting so hard to uphold. Letting out a heavy sniffle, his head sank low. By then no matter how much he tried, it was simply no use. As Marlena watched, he finally broke down, roughly wiping away the tears that were now sliding down his cheeks. Although he was humiliated to be crying in front of her, Marlena didn't see it that way. In fact, for a brief moment. . . it was as though her grown son had disappeared, and she was staring at her little boy again. And she hadn't felt this way. . .in a long. . .long time.  
Giving his hand a tight squeeze, she tearfully whispered,  
"Eeet's alright, Son. . . I'm here. . .Momma's steel here. . ."


	5. Chapter 5

**Later on that night. . . **  
For both Gru and Marlena, the night never seemed to end. Although the nurses encouraged his mother to rest, it was downright impossible. She may have been on a heart monitor, but every hour they would still come in and take her blood pressure manually. Reclined in the chair next to her, Gru groaned everytime the door opened.  
By four am, he was getting delirious from lack of sleep. But he wasn't the only one. Tired, drained and frustrated, Marlena sighed heavily, "_Uggh_! Will dis ever end? I want to go home!"

Just as the light of dawn began to seep through the hospital curtains, Gru finally passed out in his chair. But again like always, it didn't last long. He was awoken by a light rapping on the door. Slowly it opened to the sight of Dr. Nepharios head poking through.  
"Mornin mate. . ." he whispered. Caught in the middle of a heavy yawn, all Gru could do was limply raise his hand up. Shaking his head Nephario chuckled,  
"You look worn out. . ."  
"More like _run over_. We didn't sleep all night. . ." Now Nephario approached him with a to-go cup. "Well. . .I thought that was the case, so I stopped at the coffee shop on my way here. You're_usual_. . ." Realizing his dear friend actually bought him a skim vanilla late, Gru's eyes widened with delight.  
"Oh, thank you. . ._thank you_. . .You're de best old friend. . ."  
"I know. . ." he chuckled.  
"Noting for me, hmm?" Marlena asked out of the blue.  
Feeling rather bad, Dr. Nephario said,  
"Mum. . .you know it's not a good idea to have caffeine right now. . ."  
"Right. . .so instead I have to _smell_ eet!"  
Getting up, Gru said, "I'll drink it in de lobby. . ."  
"No. . .Don't be ridiculous. You can stay. . ." Giving his cup a hard stare, she added, "Just give me a seep. . ."  
"Mom. You know better. . ." Gru attempted to argue.  
"Oh, come on. . . A _leettle_ won't hurt." Knowing it was pointless , Gru sighed and handed her the cup. Eyes widening, he watched as the sip turned into a large swallow.  
"_Moom_? Dat's enough, now!"  
Just when she was about to stop, the door opened and the doctor walked inside. At first he was frozen to the startled look on the old woman's face, as though she got caught red-handed doing something _naughty_. Slowly lowering the cup, she blushed and whispered,  
"_Oops_. . ." Letting out a chuckle, the Doctor playfully folded his arms, "I take it you're feeling a lot better. . ." Giving him a drained peer she said,  
"Ehh. . .more tired dan anything. I was up all night with de nurses coming in and out of here. . .I feel like a human guinea pig." Nodding, the doctor smiled and said,  
"Well, we're going to bring you to the back and do another EKG, and run a few more tests. If they come back normal, you'll be able to go home today."  
"Oh, tank goodness. . ."  
"But. . ." the Dr. cut off. "You're recovering from a heart attack, so you'll still be a little too weak to be on your own. Therefore I highly recommend that you have someone monitor you for awhile. . ." Without any hesitation Gru looked at her and said,  
"Well, den it's already settled. . .she'll come stay wit me. . ."  
"_Ohhhh_, no. . ." she immediately protested. "I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself."  
In that instant Gru felt that protective instinct kick in the same way it did with his daughters. Giving her a firm stare he said, "Mom. . .I am putting down my foot! You're staying. . .eend of story!" Realizing her son really meant business, her eyes slowly rolled with defeat.  
"Whatever you say. . ." Stunned that she complied so willingly, Gru smiled with satisfaction. Until she muttered, "If you don't wind up _keelling_ me before de week is out. . ."  
Knowing she meant the way they got along, Gru remembered the rare time they shared the night before, and found himself reaching for her hand. "Mom. . ." he said as she looked at him with genuine worry. "It'll wurk. . .You'll see. . ."

** Later that day. . . **  
Balancing the boxes of pizza in one arm, Gru fiddled with the lock until the door swung open. As he stepped inside, he wondered if he was in the wrong walkway! For the entrance all the way to the livingroom, was completely spotless! There wasn't a single doll or toy anywhere in sight! Everything was in its rightful place, where it belonged! Blinking twice he shook his head and asked himself.  
"Is dis my house?"  
Silently he began to walk through until he got to the living room and stopped. There he saw three minions, who were wearing little aprons. Mark was dusting, Kevin was vacuuming, and Dave was polishing the furniture, and humming loudly to himself. Slowly shaking his head, Gru playfully said, "Ohhh. . .So. . .dis is de secret, hmm? I have leetle elves in my house?"  
Now all at once they stopped, eyes widening with surprise. "_Oh-oh_. . ." Dave chirped, dropping the feather duster and running up to him. Appreciative Gru smiled.  
"Nice wurk, boys. . ." Very pleased, they all grinned and giggled with satisfaction.  
"Where are de gurls?" Quickly Mark pointed to the kitchen, then looked from the boxes to Gru with excitement. "Peeza? _Pleeze_?" Smiling Gru said,  
"Yes. . .since you boys helped, you can get in on dis too. . .Come on. . ."  
"_Ooh. . .ooh. . .oooh_!" He chirped, hopping up and down with excitement.

In the doorway of the kitchen, Gru found himself stopping to the beautiful sight of his daughters who were all standing at the sink washing dishes. Or at least, that's what he thought, until Edith flung some water on Margo while rinsing off a plate. Turning to her younger sister, Margo vented,  
"Edith! If you splash me one more time, I'm gonna stick your head under the faucet! Now quit it!"  
Snickering, Gru shook his head and said,  
"Well isn't dis a miracle?" Now all at once they spun around, their eyes widening with excitement!  
"_Daddy_!" Agnes shrieked, hopping off her stool and running until she was clutching his leg in a frenzy. "Hey dad. . ." Margo said, as he bent over and kissed her on the top of the head.  
"Hey dad! You brought pizza! _Cooool_!" Edith hollered, eagerly taking the boxes from him. As she and the minions ran to the table, Margo said,  
"Thanks. . ." Giving his oldest child a look of sincerity, Gru nodded and replied,  
"No. . .Thank _you_ for cleaning my house, and being such a grown up." He said, gently gripping the underneath of her chin. "I'm very proud of you. . .And I tink Gram would be too!"  
"How is she?" she asked, as they walked to the table.  
"Oh. . .She's doing much, much better. . .As a matter of fact, dere's something I need to talk to you gurls about."  
"What?" Edith asked, pulling a gooey slice of pizza out the box.  
"Well. . .How would you gurls feel about having Gram stay here for a while?" Simultaneously, all their eyes lit up, including the minions. "_That_, would be awesome!" Margo enthusiastically replied.  
"Yeah! Gram is so nice. . ." Agnes happily cooed. "She always helps me color inside the lines. . ."  
"Well. . .Dat's what I want to explain." Gru said, more to Agnes, than to the other two. "Right now. . .Gram can't do de tings she used to do. . ."  
"Why?. . .what's wrong with her?" Stomped over that question, Gru desperately tried to think of an answer that wouldn't scare her. Yet. . .the more he stared into her innocent brown eyes, the more he knew the truth was the only option. Feeling Margo's tentative gaze, Gru reached out until he was lightly patting Agnes on the chest. "Gram's heart has been very tired, lately. And she needs to take medicine, and eat de right foods so it can get strong again." Now right away, Gru noticed the shocked, then worried expression on Ediths face. "Her _heart_? Really?"  
Realizing that she was seeing the reality of what he meant, Gru looked at her and nodded.  
"Yes, Edith. . .her heart was acting up last night. But dey fixed the problem. She's better, but she's still very weak. . .So we're going to help her get all de rest she needs. Ok?"  
Very attentive, Edith nodded. . . "Ok. . ."  
"We can't do anyting to stress her out, a'right. So dat means. . .no running around de house, and no_fighting_. . ." Folding her arms rather playfully, Margo implied,  
"Including _you_ and Gram?" Letting out a tired chuckle, Gru nodded,  
"Hah. . .yeah. Including me and gram. . .It'll be a _piece of cake_." He said, giving her a playful wink.  
"_Uh-huh_. . ." she said, grabbing her slice of pizza. "Don't you want any?"  
"Oh, no. . ." he said, holding out a hand. "Dis is enough for me." He said, holding up his coffee. "Dr. Nephario is with mom, right now. He'll be calling me soon, so while waiting I'll be in de living room, catching up on my paper."

But that wasn't the case. Once alone, the solitude caused the fatigue to hit Gru hard, making his eyelids get heavier, and heavier. This had him going from a sitting, to laying position on the sofa. As he rested an arm over his eyes, he began to feel like somebody was watching him. This caused him to peek out from underneath, to find Agnes standing in the doorway, holding her unicorn.  
"Hey, squort." He said in a reassuring tone. Smiling, she walked up and stood next to him.  
"Hi, daddy. . .You look tired. . ."  
"I am. . ._very_. . ."  
"Would you like my unicorn to keep you company?"  
"Nope. . .But _you'll_ do. . ." Reassured, Agnes smiled and crawled on the sofa. As she snuggled against him, he kissed the back of her head and whispered, "I love you, keedo. . ."  
"I love you too. . ." And that was all it took.

Comforted from his child being next to him, Gru finally passed out. Falling into a sleep that was so hard, he never heard anything. . .including the phone ringing. Although Margo wanted to wake him, his mother insisted that they let him sleep, and her and Nephario took a cab home.  
Within the hour, Gru was being watched again. . .only this time, it was by two _other_ pairs of eyes. As Nephario wheeled Marlena toward the spare bedroom, they stopped short to the sounds of his heavy snoring. This enticed them to back up, until they were staring at an amusing sight. When Agnes got up, she left her unicorn with Gru, who was now hugging it the same way as he held her!  
Letting out a low chuckle, Nephario shook his head. "Will you look at this?"  
Completely enthralled by how adorable. . .her grown son looked, Marlena sighed.  
"Yah. . .And you wonder why he get's along so good with dem? He's still a child himself. . ."  
She sadly whispered, actually wishing deep down, that she would've held this child a little more. . .


	6. Chapter 6

**A few days later. . .**

Within the next two days, Gru's mother was pretty much rested enough for him to take her back to her apartment, so she could pack a few things.

But when the boxes started filling in the spare bedroom of his house, Gru realized she was officially going to be there 24/7. And although he shuttered at the adjustments he would have to make, Gru was just as determined to continue with his routine, as she was with hers. Only this time he inwardly hoped that maybe, things would be a little different between the two of them.

From across the livingroom, she looked up from her knitting just as Gru stood up from the worktable, and set Vectors robot down on the floor. Glancing toward the girls who were watching TV, he went, "_Pssssst_!" Getting there attention.  
"Watch dis. . ." he whispered.  
Quietly he steered the robot towards Kyle, who was too busy chomping down on a huge soup bone. With the robot only inches away, Gru looked down at the remote and hit the "Enemy alert," button.  
Instantly they all found themselves jerking to the sound of an ear-pitching shrill, that had Kyle convulsively swallowing the entire bone, then jumping nearly two feet in the air!  
"_Yiiiiiiiiiiiiip_! Yip, yip, yip!" he loudly screeched, yelping all the way down the hall.  
Throwing a hand over his eyes, Gru began to laugh hysterically, stomping his feet on the floor. "_Daaaad_! That was mean!" Margo giggled out.  
"I know. . ." Gru chuckled, laughing so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes.  
"Way to go, dad!" Edith said, as she laughed along with him.  
"And, you wonder why he hates you so much!" Margo mocked, in a rather chastising manner.  
"Dat's right! Maybe next time he'll think twice before using my arm as a chew toy!"

Annoyed from being startled by the loud shrill, Marlena shook her head with disapproval. .  
"_Ehh_! I'm glad you enjoy torturing the dog, and making everyone deaf in the process!"  
Still giggling, Gru cleared his throat and chuckled, "Sorry, mom. But I had to test it anyway." He said, now picking the bot up off the floor. "Dis is what I wanted to show you de other night-"  
Before Gru could finish, she peevishly snapped, "Ja. .. another one of your _pointless_ devices?" Caught off guard by her cold reply, Gru let out a heavy sigh, then shook his head.  
"Yeah. . .Another one to add to de list. . ." he hissed, now turning, and walking back to the table in a haughty silence. At the same time, Agnes came into the living room, and ran straight up to her. "Hey, Gram. . ."  
"Hello, pumkin. . ." she cooed.  
"I've got something for you. . .I've been working on it since you've got here."  
"Really? And what's dat?" Now Agnes placed the drawing in her lap. It was a stick picture of her, in the rocking chair. And it said, "_Welcome Home, Gram_. . ."  
By the smile on her face, Gru knew she loved it. Without any hesitation she leaned forward and gave Agnes a tight hug. "Aww, cherub. Eets beautiful. I weel cherish it always. . ."  
Immediately, Gru could feel himself growing very offended. Overwhelmed by  
waves of jealousy, and hurt, towards his own child! Scowling, he folded his arms. . .angry with himself for feeling this way. But what he didn't see, was the way Marlena looked up. . .and actually_noticed_. By then, he couldn't take much more. Getting up he attempted to walk past her when she gently called out, "Son?"  
Letting out a heavy sigh, he stopped then peered at her over his shoulder.  
"Yes?"  
"I was wondering. . . if you would mind helping me unpack a bit before eet gets too late." Eyes hopelessly rolling upward, he sighed and muttered,  
"Sure. . .Why not . ."  
If he was going to feel useful at something. . .it might as well be her _servant_!

When they got to her room Gru noticed all the boxes piled up, and remembered just how much stuff she really brought. Slumping up against the door, he moaned in frustration. "Ohhh, mom. Dis ees going to take all night. . ."  
Sitting in her rocking chair, Marlena shook her head. "Oh, don't whine, son. Dere's was only one thing I want to unpack tonight. Dat big box in de corner. Would you mind fetching it, please?"  
Not even putting up an argument, Gru headed to where she pointed, picked it up, and brought it to the bed. Looking down, he noticed the words, "_Precious possessions_," written on the flaps. And just stood there, doing nothing.  
"_Well_? Why are you here, eef you're not going to open it!"  
Rolling his eyes, Gru sighed heavily and done as he was told. Silently Marlena watched as he flipped the lids back, and gazed down at the stuff rather irritably. Then as she figured, his eyes slowly began to widen with disbelief, as his hand reached down inside, and came back up with a now _framed_ drawing of him in the rocket ship! On the back, he noticed that his mother had actually wrote down the date! August 5th, 1969!  
"Oh, my gosh. . ." Gru chuckled with delight. As he began digging through the box, it almost felt like he were a child again. "Dis is everything I've ever geevin you. . ." Deeply moved, Gru once again began to fish around the box until he saw what looked to be a scrapbook.  
"_Mooom_. . ." he chuckled with disbelief. "Dis is everything I've ever done in my life. . ." Leaning on the arm of her rocker, she rested her chin on her hand.  
"Yes. . ." she replied. "All de way back to de school science fair, when you won furst prize. . ." she said, as he gently rubbed his fingers over the blue ribbon.  
Now Gru began flipping through the brown pages, looking through all the newspaper clippings. All the way from when he first started his villainous crime spree. "Ohhh, look at dis. . ." he snickered, reading the one that said,  
"**Gru. ..Villain of the Year**. . ." It was a younger pic of him in his early thirties, with a receding hair line. "I have dat one on my wall. . ."  
"_Ehh_. . .You had _hair_ then, too. . ." Marlena, playfully implied.  
"Yeah? _What_ hair? Dat was right before I shaved it all off. . ." he mimed, flipping up to the most recent clippings. "**World in chaos! Moon disappears. . .Scientists can offer no explanation!**"  
"Hah. . .Now dat's what _I'm_ talkin bout. . ." Gru proudly said, as he continued to flip through the clippings. "**Moon returned out of thin air. . .Experts baffled!**"  
Gradually. Gru looked up Marlena and replied, "Honestly, mom. I-I deedn't think you kept any of dis."  
Now in a rather mocking way, she smiled and said, "Son. . .They belonged to _you_. . .so why would I throw dem away?" As a touched expression crept over Grus face, Marlena looked away and awkwardly replied, "You've always been _complicated_ to me. Weeth all your inventions, and formulas dat never made sense, nor will I _ever_ understand. Still. . I know I should've been more supportive. . .when it come to your achievements. But personally, de greatest accomplishment you've ever given me, was you being _born_. And all the tings you've done along de way. . .made it a complete package. One that I'm _very_ proud of."  
Very teary-eyed, Gru desperately tried to keep his composer. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and whispered, "Mom. . .Do you know how _long_ I've waited to hear you say dat?"  
"Yes. . .And. . .I'm sorry I made you wait so long. . ." she said, watching as he timidly wiped a tear off his cheek. "I know I should've been more. . ._affectionate_ to you, as a boy. But eet's hard for me to express something that I was never shown. . ." Knowing she meant with his grandmother, Gru sadly nodded. "I know. . ."  
"Yet. . .somehow. . .after all dese years. . .you steel managed to show it to your daughters. And now, _you're_ teaching _me_. . ."  
Slowly shaking his head, Gru felt compelled to reach for her hand. Looking into her glistening eyes, he choked out, "I love you, mom . ."  
Giving him a sincere smile, she sniffled, then nodded,  
"I love you too, son. . .Always. . ." And then. . .she just couldn't help herself. Through the sweet tender moment, she leaned forward, her smile turning more devious. "But. . .I'll love you even more if you help me unpack tonight. . ."  
Giving her a look of frustration, Gru rubbed a hand over his eyes.  
"Ohhhhh. . ._Mooooom_. . ." he moaned, noticing the now menacing look on her face. "I thought you said dis was all you wanted to unpack?"  
"I _lied_. . ." she said, as he got up from the bed.  
"Ugggh. . .Dat figures. . ." he irritably hissed, heading towards the stack of boxes. As he bent over to pick one up, Gru heard her reply,  
"About dat. . .and _nothing_ else. . ."

This made him smile once again. For deep down inside Gru knew, that through all the negative things that happened, this was a positive turning point between him and his mom, making him realize that it was _never_ too late to start over. . .


End file.
